As soon as the intro credits rolled I knew I was in for a treat. 80’s inspired fonts and music, and this track leveled me.

Ryan Gosling.

Drive.

Carey Mulligan.

Oscar Issac.

Christina Hendricks.

Ron Perlman.

with Bryan Cranston.

and Albert Brooks.

Click here for the opening credits and turn the volume to 11; the link won’t work for long I’m sure.

If that doesn’t give you a semi chub, I don’t know what will.

The movie was a masterpiece. I think the best thirty seconds in the entire movie (and all movies of 2011) is when Albert Brooks asks Ryan Gosling’s character: “So where’d you put the money?” Gosling’s reaction to that question is so arresting that I physically tensed waiting for what was going to happen next. Bryan Cranston is probably my all-time favorite actor right now, and its great to see him in movies after his fantastic work in Breaking Bad. Carey Mulligan is also a new favorite, having just come off the excellent Never Let Me Go. She possesses that quiet natural ability that Gosling also pulls off so well. Their chemistry in the movie exceeds any I have seen in a long time, despite the fact that there is rightly no sex scene. I wanted to watch this movie again immediately after completing it.